Current computer network communications permit users to communicate with one another anonymously over dialed-up or other access lines. For example, on-line service providers allow users to connect their personal computers (PCs) together for purposes of anonymously communicating with one another. On-line service users can elect to participate in on-line text discussions using channels or "virtual rooms" devoted to discussions on general or specific topics. In such virtual or "chat" rooms (or a number of similar constructs) text "chats" take place in which users send text to one another or just observe ("listen"). Once a chat session is in place, on-line service users may elect to enter or exit a session at will. Generally, a list of users taking part in a chat are listed or otherwise indicated on each session user's computer screen. User identities in these lists usually take the form of "nicknames" or "handles" to preserve user anonymity, a hallmark of chat and many other forms of on-line communications.
Chat rooms are devoted to myriad subject areas selected by a service or system operator, or by the participants themselves. Procedures are in place in many of these on-line venues to request the establishment of a particular subject chat room for a fixed time or indefinitely. More recently, features such as "sub-chats" or "private chats" have been provided in some on-line contexts by which a subset (self-selected or upon request by others) of the on line chatters are moved to a separate chat (virtual) venue.
Another feature available in some chat sessions is "Instant Messaging" or similar-named facility by which one user in a chat session is able to send direct messages to one or more other users taking part in the chat. Thus, if side comments not appropriate for general observation are desired between two users, selection (usually by a screen message button) of the instant messaging feature results in a window on the selecting user's computer screen along with prompts for the intended message recipient and the content of the message. When the message originator completes these fields and a Send (or similar) screen button is pressed (clicked on), the message is sent privately to the intended recipient using the hosting message functionalities. Typical uses of these instant messages include setting up private chat rooms and inviting others to join.
While the chat sessions described above are all text chat rooms, i.e., all communication is via text messages between the chat session users, provision has been made of late for Voice Chat rooms. In typical voice chat rooms a number of users participate in a manner similar to a discussion by way of a telephone conference call. Often, in a voice chat room, there is no single host user--so voice inputs are often made simultaneously by more than one user. The result is sometimes that voice input, or some of it, is lost. Overall, however, modest sized conferences can proceed without untoward confusion or congestion.
The mechanism by which such voice chat sessions operate is usually the same or very closely related to those used in text chats. Thus, a functional voice chat "layer" can be added over what is basically a text chat session control mechanism. This is desirable because the chat server requires minimum changes to effectuate the voice capabilities. Moreover, such voice chats proceed entirely within the chat server (or servers for distributed chat networks). No connection to the telephone network (other than a datalink via modem or the like if no other connection to a data network access point is available) is required. While such voice chat conversations typically prove satisfactory for many purposes, private voice chat room functionality has not emerged. Among the factors contributing to this condition are the not-always-satisfactory quality of data network voice transmission, network host capacity and complexity of changes at such network chat hosts.
One approach to introducing voice communications between chat session users or in other communications settings is described in a co-pending patent application entitled "Anonymous Voice Communications" by R. B. Leipow, Ser. No. 08/573865, filed Jul. 2, 1996 and assigned to the assignee of the present application. In that application, which is hereby incorporated by reference in the present application as if set forth in its entirety herein, a trusted agent is used to establish voice communications between on-line parties while maintaining anonymity of the parties. The trusted agent is illustratively implemented as an adjunct to processor functions at a network server, such as an on-line chat server.
While efforts to achieve anonymous telephone communications between users in contexts like on-line chat sessions have proven possible, such efforts have generally required significant modifications at an on-line server that are applicable only to voice chat participants. Thus, in such contexts telephone functionality not otherwise used at a chat server is required to effect the desired anonymous voice communications between chat users or others similarly situated in other communications contexts.